Tottenham’s opening match on the rain-sodden Hong Kong pitch was eventually played out in an abridged format (40 minutes per half) despite fears over player safety.

These fears came to fruition as the Belgian centre-back lost his footing on the slick surface early on in the second half­—damaging his ankle ligaments in the process.

The resulting news that Vertonghen will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks comes as a considerable blow to Tottenham’s rear guard.

The former Ajax man proved a stellar summer-acquisition and was subsequently elected into the PFA Team of the Year by his peers—a deserved reward for his defensive solidity throughout the season.

Vertonghen’s injury serves to highlight the threadbare nature of the Spurs’ back line, with the somewhat surprising departure of Steven Caulker and the ongoing fitness concerns over Younes Kaboul compounding the issue. It’s definitely an area of concern that needs to be rectified in the transfer market. And fast.

However, defensive partnerships require time to gel and flourish, so it’s imperative that others in the lily-white cohort act accordingly to compensate for the absent centre-back.

Let’s take a look at the five players most likely to take up that mantle.

Hugo Lloris

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The acquisition of Hugo Lloris was in part necessitated by the arrival of André Villas-Boas and his high-pressure ideology; a philosophy that demands a keeper of his ilk—agile, intelligent and adept with both feet.

The French No.1 is arguably Spurs’ 5th defender; a constantly alert presence in the 18-yard box, ready to pounce on the ball should it encroach into his territory.

His proficiency for anticipating and neutralising defence-splitting through balls ensures the space on the centre-backs’ blindside is difficult to exploit—an invaluable safety net.

Without Vertonghen’s imposing presence in the heart of defence it’s crucial that Lloris asserts his authority—especially from set-pieces—in the opening fixtures against Crystal Palace and Swansea City.

A couple of decisive, commanding performances from Lloris would instill confidence in the makeshift back four—a confidence which should ripple through the team, and be reflected in their respective outputs.

Paulinho

Spurs’ midfield last season, like many a season prior, lacked a clinical edge in the final third. To illustrate that fact, Parker, Dembele and Sandro contributed a paltry two goals between them.

This shortcoming was partially compensated for by Vertonghen’s tendency to chip in with a goal or two (four, in fact). On more than one occasion last season, Vertonghen exhibited the poise and composure of a seasoned No.9 in front of goal—the first goal at Swansea immediately springs to mind.

Could Paulinho’s arrival at the club represent a solution to this deficiency? According to Colin Young of the Daily Mail, he’s "a box-to-box midfielder, with an eye for goal," which certainly fulfills the desired remit.